Unexpected Circumstances
by MusicInspired
Summary: Ever wondered what would happen if Draco Malfoy was forced to spend an extended amount of time with muggles? I did. This is the result. DM/OC
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Anything and everything that you think belongs to J.K. Rowling, DOES belong to J.K. Rowling. She came up with the impossibly hot Draco Malfoy. I'm just borrowing a bit of her genius. (No, I'm not making any kind of profit off of all this)

* * *

As the old, dingy white car pulled to a stop on the gravel driveway, Draco surveyed his surroundings with distaste evident on his face. There was dust everywhere, and the stench of animals leaked through the open windows. "Are you certain this is necessary? I really don't think-"

"Mr. Malfoy, we've been through this a thousand times and I refuse to talk about it again. Get out of the car and get your trunk." Draco rolled his eyes but obeyed anyway. Even without her regal green robes, Professor McGonagall was a very commanding presence.

_She's a lot like Father… only different_, he thought with a slight, sad smile. Lugging the heavy suitcase out of the back seat, Draco turned toward the ugly, small country house, gave one last sniff of derision, and began to trudge up the driveway. It was going to be a long year.

* * *

A knock on the front door made Ellie rush from the kitchen, running fingers through her still-damp hair in efforts to make herself a bit more presentable. She opened the door and smiled brightly.

"Ms. McIntosh?"

The tall, thin woman on her front doorstep smiled back and held out her hand.

"Please, call me Catherine. This is Mr. Thomas," she said, gesturing to the rather sullen-looking young man standing next to her. Ellie shook Ms. McIntosh's hand before offering it to the boy.

"It's Drake, right? I'm Ellie." Drake looked at the hand Ellie offered as though it was a dead fish. She took it back quickly and asked them both to come in the house.

"Oh no, dear, I must be off to catch my flight. Drake, call me if you need anything. I'll be back to pick you up in July." The old woman gave Ellie one more smile before climbing back in the car and driving off in a puff of dust. Ellie shut the door and faced the tall young man.

"Your room's back here. If you wanna unpack now, that's fine… or you can wait until after supper. Either way, don't be late for mealtimes. Supper's in half an hour." Ellie opened the door to a small, sparsely furnished room in the back of the house. Drake hauled the oversized leather trunk into the room. Ellie waited a moment for some kind of reply, but when nothing showed itself, she shrugged and left, shutting the door behind her. _It's going to be a long year_, she thought as she headed to the kitchen.

* * *

Draco surveyed the little room with revulsion. It was everything he stood against. Poor, small, and _very _Muggle-like. He heaved a great sigh then began to unpack. The little muggle girl had told him not to be late for supper. As if she had any control over him! He would show up whenever he pleased, and there was nothing she could say or do that would change his mind. Draco pulled out T-shirt after T-shirt and was once more appalled by the fact that everything was so agonizingly muggle-like. A wizard of his fine standing should not be forced to wear muggle clothes, eat muggle food, and sleep in a muggle house for an entire year. Nevertheless, McGonagall was right, as usual. This punishment was necessary, no matter how painful.

After filling each drawer with various socks, jeans, shirts, and the like, Draco stood up and looked for a place to stuff his trunk. Finding no better option, he shoved it under his bed. It was a tight fit, and he wished for his wand. However, McGonagall had carefully explained her reasoning behind her "no magic" rule. Because she didn't quite trust Draco, she had kept his wand with her. Draco was therefore completely void of all magic for the time being. Rolling his eyes at the hilarity of his current situation, he stalked out of the room and down the hall, following his nose to the kitchen. The muggle girl was scurrying about, grabbing plates, spices, cups, and various utensils.

_What's her name? Emmy? It's very commonplace and vulgar, whatever it is_, Draco thought spitefully. He searched the room for a place to sit down, but finding none aside from the table, he opted to lean against the white countertop. His pale grey eyes followed the short brunette around the kitchen. She kept throwing glances at him, but refrained from speaking. Her dark brown hair, slightly damp, was beginning to frizz. She didn't seem to notice, just kept running about grabbing things. She wore a plain, faded t-shirt and shabby jeans with holes at the knee. Draco examined his own wardrobe and was horror-struck to find that his own clothes bore a sharp resemblance to hers. Of course, his t-shirt was not faded, nor did it bear a peeling picture of Eeyore on the front. His jeans were whole, too. Satisfied that he still looked like he belonged to a higher class than the girl, Draco went back to silently watching her.

When the front door suddenly opened, Draco barely resisted the urge to jump. Loud voices and laughter boomed from the hallway, and six men entered the kitchen. Draco stiffened. He didn't like large groups… at all.

* * *

Placing the dish of mashed potatoes on the supper table, Ellie stood back and admired her work. Everything in place, she turned to find her uncle trying to be friendly to Drake.

"You must be that Thomas boy! Welcome to Texas, son." Surprisingly, Drake shook the hand that was offered and even smiled. For the first time since his arrival, Ellie heard Drake speak.

"Thank you so much for opening your home to me, Mr. Greene. It's a pleasure to meet you." His voice was smooth, syrupy-sweet, and silky. The words flowed off his tongue as though he'd practiced them a hundred times. His British accent was very pronounced, and he articulated each word carefully. Ellie felt her blood rushing to her face. Why had he not shaken her hand, or spoken to her at all? Before she could react too strongly, her uncle turned to her and gave her a hug.

"Supper looks wonderful, Ellie. D'you need help with anything?"

"Nope, it's all done. Have a seat." She smiled up at Uncle Jonathan and began to sit down at the table. Suddenly remembering her cup was still in the kitchen, she jumped back up and ran back to retrieve it. By the time she returned to the table, everyone else was seated. There was Uncle, in his usual seat at the head of the table. On his right sat his assistant supervisor, Caleb Emery. The two had been friends since they were kids, and Caleb had proven over and over how useful he could be. In the next three seats down the table sat Ellie's cousins, Alex, Andy, and Austin. The twenty-year-old triplets all helped their dad on the ranch. On Uncle Jon's left sat Dusty, Ivan, and Henry, three other ranch hands. Then Ellie realized that her usual seat at the other end of the table was taken. _Drake _was sitting in _her _seat. Disliking the boy more as each minute passed, Ellie resigned herself to take the empty seat next to Henry. The middle-aged man smiled at her and winked. He knew that the newcomer had taken her spot.

Everyone seated, Uncle Jon bowed his head and held out each hand. Ellie copied his motions, taking Henry's work-roughened hand in her small left one. When her right hand remained empty, she snuck a look at the blonde sitting next to her. Drake had one eyebrow raised, a sneer twisting his handsome features. He seemed resigned to his fate though, since he lightly placed his left hand in Ellie's right. It was pale and soft, like a girl's, and Ellie held back a giggle. Drake was obviously a spoiled brat who had never done a day's work in his life.

After Uncle Jon gave thanks, the men's plates quickly filled with mashed potatoes, fried chicken, green beans, and biscuits. Ellie took a spoonful of gravy before passing the gravy boat to Drake. Then she realized he only had potatoes and beans on his plate.

"Are you a vegetarian?" She asked, trying to be polite. Her only reply was a scornful smile as the boy carefully picked up a drumstick, ignoring the gravy she offered. When he looked down at his plate, she stuck her tongue out at him. Andy caught her and started snickering. Drake's eyes shot up and stared at the other boy intensely. Ellie watched them compete, each willing the other to look away first. She was amazed when her cousin broke the stare and looked back down at his food. Ellie began eating her own chicken, not caring when the grease began to drip down her fingers.

"So Drake, do you have any siblings?" Uncle Jon asked. The rest of the table was quiet now, everyone curious about the new guy."No sir, I'm an only child." "Your parents must miss you very much, then."

Drake made a little laughing noise at this and began moving his green beans around his plate with his fork. "That's not likely, sir."

"Why?" Austin blurted, before his dad's glare could stop him. Even at twenty, the boy still seemed to lack a few social skills.

"I suppose they have bigger things to worry about, what with being in prison and all."

After shooting a withering glare at his sometimes-tactless son, Uncle Jon thought for a moment before replying.

"I'm sure that your parents will be free soon enough. They probably have the best lawyers." After a moment's awkward silence, Dusty began talking about normal things on the ranch, and Drake remained eating in silence. Ellie kept sneaking peeks at him. He had a nice profile, very aristocratic-looking. His pale skin and hair made it obvious that he spent very little time out-of-doors. His long fingers were picking at the chicken, as though trying to find a less-messy way to eat it. Ellie snickered before she could stop herself. Brown eyes met grey. Drake was sneering (apparently his favorite way to look at her) and his eyes dared her to keep laughing.

So she did.

* * *

The little muggle girl actually had the audacity to keep laughing! She was quietly sniggering, holding his gaze with her own. His eyes narrowed in an intense frown, and he was shocked when her grin widened and she raised an eyebrow at him. They continued their staring contest, just as he had with the black-haired boy she called her cousin. Finally, Draco glanced up when heard his name being whispered on the other side of the table. Two of the triplets were murmuring to each other, heads bent down a bit. From years of practicing, Draco tuned out every other noise and focused on the soft voices.

"He looks so much like him though! Acts like him too."

"That's impossible though. That series is a fictional story written by some woman in the UK. This guy is real."

"So you think its just coincidence that both are platinum blondes with grey eyes, tall pale and skinny, and abominably rude? Plus, their-" The voices stopped abruptly when the man sitting opposite from Draco spoke again.

"Tomorrow's Sunday, and our family will be at church all morning. D'you wanna come with us?"

Draco fought the urge to laugh at such an absurd notion, and merely declined as politely as possible.

"Are you sure?" Jon asked, concern evident in his voice. "I'm not sure if it's okay for you to be here alone."

"Sir, I'm twenty. I'm positive I'll be fine. Thank you for offering though. It was very kind of you." Draco smiled broadly, trying to assure the older man. The last thing he wanted to do was tag along to some worship service. Finally appeased, Jon stood up, carrying his plate in one hand and his cup in the other.

_In the name of all that is Slytherin, will I actually be expected to clean like a house elf? _Draco thought, heaving a great sigh. Seeing everyone else clearing their own places, he assumed he would be, and followed their lead. _I cannot wait to be out of this hellhole. I don't see how they're able to live like this!_

Alex was apparently on dish-duty that night, since the green-eyed boy immediately began cleaning the kitchen. The triplets reminded Draco of Scarhead in a very unpleasant way.

_Of course, I come here to escape my past and instead find myself confronted with it at every angle._

"Uncle, have you heard anything from Mom and Dad?" Draco found himself following the brunette and her uncle into the living room across the hall. Taking a seat on one of the couches, he listened to the muggles talk. He was surprised to find that he actually liked the girl's voice. It was soft and calming, and more vivacious than his mother's. Hers was always high, cold, and apathetic. Ellie's was warmer, gentler.

"Your parents made it to North Carolina just fine. Rachel picked them up from the airport and they made it home safe and sound."

Jon's voice was a deep bass, matching his tall, muscular form. Draco compared Jon to his father; they were alike in that they both had a very commanding presence. When either spoke, everyone listened. However, their likeness stopped there. Jon's whole countenance was warm and vibrant, from his dark brown hair and lively green eyes to his easy smile and rolling laughter. Lucius Malfoy was formal, imposing, and severe; Draco inherited his white-blond hair, grey eyes, and haughty mannerisms from his father. Draco realized his thoughts had been wandering for some time when he realized Ellie had left the room. Finding no reason to stay any longer, he too rose and exited, explaining to Jon that he was tired. Draco changed his clothes, got into bed, and sat thinking for another hour or so before finally drifting off into dream-troubled sleep.

The next morning, Draco rose long after the sun to an empty house and a foil-wrapped plate of quiche. The Greenes had left a note with the quiche, explaining that they would be home soon after lunch. Draco glanced at the clock and realized it was noon already. He ate the quiche after warming it in the microwave and left the plate in the sink. He may have to live in their house, but he didn't have to wash their dishes. Far too soon, he heard voices outside, along with the crunch of gravel. He was sitting on the couch when the family came inside, all annoyingly loud and much too happy. Jon entered the living room, and upon seeing the platinum head of hair, spoke.

"The kids are going swimming this afternoon. Care to join them?"

At first, Draco simply stared out the window at the hot, dry landscape. Then a flash of blue and brown caught his eye, and he saw a petite form in a flattering swimsuit sprinting across the yard. The corner of his mouth twitched, trying to smile.

"I think I do."

* * *

Ellie jumped into the murky lake water, hair flying behind her. She came up and hollered to her friend, Anna, who was still standing on the shore. A year older than Ellie, Anna was tall, blond, and engaged to Ellie's cousin Alex. After laughing at her friend's enthusiasm, Anna cannonballed after her, splashing Ellie. The two girls raced around for a while, waiting on the boys to join them. When the three black-haired young men finally showed themselves, they were accompanied by Drake.

"Why did he have to come?" Ellie said with a humph of displeasure.

"I don't know what you're complaining about Ellie. He's hot."

"Anna! You're engaged to my cousin! You cant go around calling other guys hot!"

"Oh, Alex is way hotter. I'm just saying I wouldn't be complaining if I were single and had an opportunity to look at that guy in a bathing suit."

Ellie rolled her eyes as her friend swam off to meet her fiancé. Drake had carefully climbed into the lake and appeared to be trying to keep his hair dry. Ellie couldn't help admiring his lean figure. His muscles rippled under gleaming, pale skin. Ellie wasn't surprised when Austin splashed Drake, laughing at the other boy's murderous look. Andy tackled Drake from one side and Austin from the other. A wrestling match ensued; since it was two against one, Alex decided to jump in, leaving Anna to join Ellie. Ellie clambered up the bank and sat down in a sunny spot, determined to get a good tan for once. Normally she just burnt.

"So why is such a handsome fella stayin' with you?" Anna settled down next to her.

"Well, we got a letter in the mail from some boarding school lady. It said that one of its former students, a kid named Drake Thomas, needed a place to hide. His parents were framed for leading a rebellion against the government in some tiny little province called Gorgantia, just off the border of Russia. They were members of the government itself, so it doesn't really make sense. They were really rich though; that's how they afforded to send their kid to a boarding school in Wales. Now, they're in jail, and the real leaders of the failed rebellion are free somewhere. Drake's parents apparently know a lot about the rebellion though, and they plan to talk at their trials. They're afraid that Drake will be targeted, and that the rebellion people think he knows something too. So he needs a safe place to stay until the real rebellion leaders are caught and his parents are freed."

"Wow… that's quite a story. So he's handsome, rich, and mysterious… he's eligible, right?"

"_Anna_!"

"What? I'm just trying to look out for my friend's wellbeing. I wont be happy until I see you settled down with someone and just as happy as Alex and I will be."

Ellie was about to reply when a wave of cold water splashed up on her, accompanied by Austin's laughter. She jumped back in the lake and exacted revenge on her amused cousin.

* * *

A/N: I'm new to this Fanfiction thing, so pardon the many mistakes I'm sure I'll make. Any constructive criticism is appreciated, so please review!

Also, I'm having trouble with the formatting stuff, so pardon the mess-ups in that area...


	2. Chapter 2

_Why did I think that was a good idea? _Draco thought to himself as he trudged back to the ranch house, wet hair sticking to his forehead and clinging around his ears. The early evening was turning chilly, and he'd forgotten a towel. He looked at the four towel-wrapped figures chatting amiably ahead of him almost longingly before reminding himself that they were _muggles_, and as such, were far below him.

Finally reaching the warm sanctuary of the muggle home, the four dry muggles rushed in, but one stopped. Turning back to face Draco, Ellie removed the towel form her shoulders and tossed it to Draco. Without a word, she entered the house. Draco, surprised at her odd act of kindness, quickly dried off and walked inside. He found everyone scattered to their rooms, changing out of their wet bathing suits. He needed to take a shower, so Draco grabbed his pajamas from his bedroom and headed to the bathroom on his end of the hall. The door was locked, and he heard a male voice singing very off-key while the water in the shower ran. Rolling his eyes, he walked down the hall in search of another bathroom. At the far end of the hall, he found yet another locked bathroom door. This time, there was no singing, just water running. He leaned against the wall, watching both doors. He'd just have to grab whichever one opened first.

* * *

The mirror was foggy with steam when Ellie turned the shower off. Drying herself and wrapping her dripping hair in a towel, she pulled on her pajamas: a plaid pair of shorts and a tank top. She brushed her teeth, then pulled the towel off her head and untangled her hair. Finally ready for bed, she hung the towel up and opened the door to find Drake standing just outside of it.

"Oh! I'm sorry… were you waiting?"

"Yes, I was. So kind of you to take your precious time in there." His face curled into that expression he knew so well. Then Ellie realized that this was the first sentence he'd spoken to her.

"So you've decided to talk now?" She said, smiling a bit.

"Only to tell the insignificant nobodies to move when they're in my way." He looked down his nose at her, and she thought the expression suited him, as though from long-use.

"Well, excuse me, Mr. High-and-Mighty. Are you sure you don't want me to clean the bathroom before you use it? Wouldn't want to get those 'insignificant nobody' germs, would you?"

"I might take you up on that offer."

"Oh please. Clean the bathroom yourself if it bothers you. Oh wait… can you actually do that? Or would it ruin those perfectly manicured hands of yours?"

"I'd watch my tone if I were you, peasant."

"Peasant, is it? At least you're acknowledging that _I_ am capable of real work, which is more than can be said about you."

"Don't talk back to your betters, girl."

At this, Ellie couldn't hold back a giggle.

"You might be used to servants cowering in front of you when you use that tone, but I'm not the kind of girl who cowers. So get used to it." She deliberately stayed standing in the doorway, refusing to leave the bathroom. The corner of her mouth pulled into a grin when his eyes widened a bit, shocked at her impudence. For a moment, Ellie thought Drake would just leave and wait for the other bathroom to be vacated. Suddenly Drake stepped forward, scooped her up in his arms like a baby, carried her to her bedroom, dumping her gracelessly on her bed and stalked back out. At the door he turned back, smirking at her outraged expression.

"Maybe you should learn to cower."

_Of all the jerks I've ever known in this world, _he _is the worst! _Ellie stormed around the kitchen the next morning making breakfast. It was still dark outside, and she could hear her cousins stumbling around in their bedroom trying to get dressed. Ellie cracked an egg on the countertop so hard that it almost splattered everywhere, and she was barely able to add it to the bowl of already opened eggs she was scrambling. Growling and muttering under her breath, she grabbed a fork and began mixing the eggs, adding cheese and chopped mushrooms.

"Must you be so bloody loud this early in the morning?" A British voice drawled behind her, and she barely resisted the urge to throw the fork at him. Turning to face him, the insult she had prepared died on her lips. He was standing in the doorway, immaculately dressed in a pair of jeans and a perfectly white tee. He had brown boots on his feet, and his hair was neatly brushed.

_How can he look so put together and _awake _this early? It's not fair! _She didn't even bother replying to him, just stuck her tongue out and went back to cooking.

After breakfast, the men went out to work on a broken fence a few acres away. Unexpectedly, Drake went with them. Ellie wondered how long the boy would last.

* * *

Every muscle in his body was aching as Draco trudged up the steps to the house. His white shirt was sweaty and mud stained, and his jeans had a hole in one knee. His hair was mussed, and every inch of exposed skin was sunburned. He stalked into the kitchen where the rest of the family was getting ready to eat. He caught Ellie staring at him, apparently awestruck by his disheveled appearance. He didn't say a word during the entire meal, even when one of the triplets taunted him about his stiff movements. Right when dinner was done, he left the table and grabbed a shower before anyone else could.

Mud- and sweat-free, Draco sat on the living room couch, trying to get some reading done while the rest of the house was blissfully quiet, either taking showers or already in bed. Draco's book was one McGonagall had lent him from the Hogwarts library, and he fervently hoped none of the muggles caught him reading it. He had transfigured the front cover to say _A History of Norway_, hoping that such a boring title would prevent anyone from actually opening it.

A bottle of green gel suddenly landed in his lap, and he shut the book quickly. Looking up over his shoulder, he glowered at the little brunette whose steam-reddened face stared down at him. She smiled, the difficult little thing.

"For your burns." She explained, and he examined the bottle. A hand-written label on the front scrawled out Aloe Vera. "It's from the plant on the front porch, if you need more." Then, of all the galling things she could possibly do, she sat down on the couch across from him. Draco rolled his eyes, sat back, and opened his book, hoping that would be enough of a hint.

"What are you reading?"

Obviously it wasn't.

"There's a title on the cover. Read it yourself."

"_A History of Norway_? Sounds intriguing." Sarcasm dripped through her words like molasses. It was amazing how she could convey so much emotion through such a short sentence.

"It's a rather deep book, probably too deep for the likes of a country girl like yourself." He stabbed at her, hoping to make her go away. Instead, she laughed. _That girl laughs far too easily_.

"Is that the only book you brought? You poor thing. I have something you might like." She got up and left the room, thank goodness. He went back to reading, hoping she wouldn't come back.

She did come back, of course, this time carrying a stack of thick books in her arms.

"Here. This is a book series-"

"Oh really? I wouldn't have guessed."

"Don't talk back to your betters," She mocked, using a startlingly believable accent. "One of the characters in the series might interest you. You're a lot like him. My cousins think you are him, but that's absurd. You might have fun reading a character that's so much like you though. Start with this one." She threw one of the thinner books at him, and he reflexively caught it. It was titled _The Sorcerer's Stone_. His heart jumped a little. _Wasn't there something about a Sorcerer's stone back in my first year at Hogwarts? Yes! Perfect-Potter rescued it from He-Who-…Voldemort. _He sternly made himself say the name in his head. Voldemort was gone now. He refused to be terrified of a dead man's name. Opening the book, he barely held back a hiss when Scarhead's name stared back at him.

"What is this?" He barely held the venom out of his voice as he asked. _How in the world did Potter end up with his own book series? In the muggle world, too!_

"I told you, it's a book series. A woman in the UK named J.K. Rowling wrote it. Does it look interesting?"

"Yes. Very. I'll read it."

"Wonderful. Just let me know when you don't want them anymore." Now she stood and left the room. Draco began to read.

* * *

When Ellie came out to begin breakfast, she saw Drake sitting on the couch, reading away.

"Have you been reading all night? You're going to be awfully tired today." His eyes rose to meet hers.

"I'm halfway through book four… this woman was biased."

"Beg pardon?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he stood, following her into the kitchen as she made French toast.

"She writes everything from Potter's point of view. Why?"

Ellie thought about this for a moment.

"I suppose it's because Harry is the protagonist. It would be a bit odd to write the series from the villain's point of view… although it would be very interesting to see what went on in Draco's head when he turned into a ferret." She laughed, then continued. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," He seemed to consider his words carefully. "What if there was more than one side to the story? What if… never mind. Its just a stupid book series, after all." Ellie looked at Drake from the corner of her eye and thought he looked a bit irritated. She shrugged and he went back to reading.

* * *

_How did a muggle woman learn all this? And if Rowling was a witch, why did she publish it for muggles to read? _Draco mulled over everything throughout the day as he hammered fence posts, cut wire, and did anything else Jon asked him to do. He had come to respect the older man, although he still didn't like him very much. _At least now I know what those abominable boys were talking about that first night. If they knew they were right… they'd be quaking in their scuffed-up boots._

That evening, Draco was too tired to do anything other than take a quick shower and flop into bed.

When he woke the next morning, he could barely move. His arms were stiff as boards, and his back hurt terribly. He was barely able to tug his clothes on, and he collapsed at the kitchen table with a heavy thud. Ellie entered soon after, and began making breakfast. Draco put his head in his hands, but when two hands began massaging his shoulders, he found it hard to ignore. Skillful fingers rubbed his aching muscles, and a soft voice whispered just above his head.

"Uncle Jon always says that the first few weeks are the worst. Don't worry, you'll get used to it." The hands disappeared, and Draco barely resisted the urge to groan. He didn't want the hands to stop. His shoulders felt a little better, but not much. Those hands had felt so good… until Draco remembered who she was. _No, this cant happen. She's a muggle, and I'm a Malfoy. I will not allow myself to stoop to her level._

The rest of the day, he completely ignored Ellie. Whenever possible, he avoided her. He spent three hours reading the Potter series that night, and spent the next day ignoring Ellie again. Draco noticed with satisfaction that she began to glare at him every chance possible. The rest of the week passed, the glaring and snubbing continuing in a pattern, until Sunday came once more, and Draco had the morning to himself. He spent it finishing the last Potter book. When the family came back home, disrupting the blessedly quiet house, he went out to the front porch and sat on a rocking chair. He was irritated to find that the muggle girl followed him out. After a moment of silence, she spoke."Why are you doing this?"

"I rather enjoy the peace and quiet of being anyplace where _you _are not."

"That! What you just did! Why, after I tried to be nice to you, are you being mean to me?"

"Has anyone told you that you are extremely bothersome?"

"Has anyone told _you _that you're extremely _rude?" _

"That makes two of us, then." Draco had been sitting with his eyes closed, but opened them when Ellie huffed and stomped her foot like a child. Her hair was starting to fall out of the bun on the back of her head. She was in a calf-length red dress made of some material that followed her curves nicely, modest but very flattering. He absently wondered why she was barefoot before snapping to attention when she spoke."You really are like Draco Malfoy! You're stubborn, boorish, conceited," she spluttered for a moment, trying to find another adjective. "worthless, arrogant… Stuck up little pig!" With that, she spun on her heel and marched back into the house. Draco sighed. He would have to work on his image if that was all she could say about him. He was sure that the adjectives foul, loathsome, and evil ought to enter her little tirade next time.

* * *

A/N Once again, any and all reviews are welcome! Pardon any mistakes, and let me know what they are so I can fix them.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning after all the men had left, Ellie stood in the middle of the living room surrounded by piles of laundry to fold. She picked up a shirt, gave it a vicious shake, and folded it neatly, placing it in its own separate pile.  
_Who does he think he is? _Shake, fold, place. _He has some nerve, coming into my home, _shake, fold, place, _and being such an obnoxious little beast. _Shake, fold, place. _What a despicable boy! _Shake, fold, place. _His looks don't make up for the fact that_, shake, fold, place, _he is insufferably disrespectful, _shake, fold, pause… _wait. His looks? Did I really just think about his looks? _Place. _He's the ugliest boy I've ever laid eyes on. His hair is too pale. His skin is too perfect. His eyes are… _Sigh. _His eyes are beautiful. Ugh. This is hopeless. _

Picking up a basket full of dirty laundry, she took it to the laundry room. Emptying the wet clothes from the washer into a separate basket, she started a new load and took the wet clothes outside to hang them up. It was sunny and hot, like most August days in Texas. Going to the clothesline stretched from the side of the house to the tool shed, she bent over and picked up a large green shirt and a pair of clothespins. She methodically set about hanging the wet laundry. When the basket was empty she picked it up and turned to go back inside. She almost ran into the tall figure who had been standing silently behind her.

"Oh, sorry—What are _you _doing here?" The apology died on her lips when she realized it was Drake.

"Watching you mutter to yourself. What's got your knickers in a twist?" He was taunting her! The irrepressible little fiend!

"Maybe I don't like it when—" Suddenly she stopped, a look of horror frozen on her face. She was standing barely a foot away from Drake, his face smirking down at hers. But she wasn't paying attention to that. She was listening to a soft rattling noise coming from somewhere just behind Drake.

* * *

When the muggle girl abruptly halted her little outburst, Draco knew something was wrong. Her eyes wandered down to the ground and widened. Draco's keen ears had been so intent on listening to Ellie's voice that they hadn't noticed the rasping sound. Now he did. Following the girl's gaze, he saw, for the first time in his life, a rattlesnake. It was brown, with a diamond pattern on its back. Curled into a position which clearly said it was agitated, it rattled its tale furiously. Then it moved forward. Sliding between Draco's feet, it began to coil on top of Ellie's bare feet. The foolish girl wasn't wearing any shoes! Draco caught her terrified gaze and very softly asked,

"What do we do?" She took a deep breath.

"I don't know. This hasn't ever happened here before. Our cats usually keep the snakes under control… and they don't normally come this close to humans—" If she had anything else to say, it was cut off with a gasp as the snake began to move again. It wrapped around her ankle, and then, with a sickening purposefulness, bit her leg. She moaned, dropped her basket, then did the strangest thing. She leaned down and picked up the snake, holding it just behind its head so it couldn't bite her. She then knelt down, grabbed a large rock with her empty hand, and struck the snake's head with it. Its body wriggled, and she held the rock down firmly. When it stopped moving, she tried to stand up. Draco saw her knees buckling and without thought, caught her up in his arms. Her leg was turning a revolting shade of purple and was swollen. He carried her inside the house and laid her down on the couch.

"What do I do?" He asked gently, surprising even himself. She squeezed her eyes shut in pain and clutched at her leg, barely managing to spit out,

"Find Uncle Jon."

Draco stood, uncertain of what to do. Jon was at least ten minutes away, and Draco wasn't sure how long it took rattlesnake venom to reach Ellie's heart from her leg. Judging by the rapid spreading of the swelling and purpling, not very long at all.

I need magic now, McGonagall! He searched the bookshelf for some kind of medical book, but couldn't find any. Ellie's groans became soft whimpers, sending Draco into a panicked frenzy to help somehow. Then he remembered one of the few magical things someone could do without a wand. Turning on the spot, he Disapparated.

Arriving outside a small suburban home in London, he quickly walked up and started banging on the door. It was only ten seconds before the door flung open and McGonagall's angry face stared down at him. Before she could speak, he explained.

"Professor, there's a muggle girl and she just got bit by a rattlesnake and the hospital is over an hour away and I cant find a first aid kit and I need my wand or she might DIE."

"Take a breath, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall replied as she pulled out a familiar wand from the sleeve of her robe. "Here's your wand. I want it back, though. No funny business."

Draco was already spinning as she spoke, and he quickly arrived back in the muggle living room. Ignoring Ellie's wide eyes, he crouched down and gently touched his wand to the bite marks just above her ankle. Tears ran down her cheeks as she clutched at her leg and breathed erratically. Draco muttered the basic venom-removing spell. Then he watched as the purple-black stain receded down her leg until two tiny pinpoints were all that remained of the bite. Her breathing went back to normal, and she stared at him with still-watery eyes. She sat up quickly, and Draco was astonished to realize that he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers. Sitting on his heels right next to the couch, his face was now inches away from Ellie's. He was frightened by the odd feeling that rose within him. The muggle girl's brown eyes were now searching his face, disbelief written all over her own.

"You really are Malfoy, aren't you?" She queried, catching his eyes once more. He couldn't open his mouth, terrified of what he might say. He simply nodded, then raised his wand and pointed it at her forehead. She swiftly reached out and grabbed the wand, bringing it behind her and leaning back against it.

"Oh no you don't! Do you understand how incredibly amazing this is? One of my favorite books series, come to life!" She was smiling now, but Draco slowly shook his head and stood. He towered over her now.

"No one can know. McGonagall's orders. Give me my wand." He leaned threateningly closer, bracing his shins against the couch on either side of her slim legs.

"No! I wont tell anyone, I promise! Please Draco, let me talk to McGonagall and ask. I can keep a secret!"

Draco knew she wasn't going to give up without a fight, so he did the unthinkable. He leaned all the way down on the couch, one arm propped on the top of the couch above her head, and he pressed his lips against hers. She gasped, and he quickly snaked his free hand around her back, searching for the wand. He found it promptly and stood once more. Taking two steps back, he looked down on Ellie once more.

"Since you wont remember this anyway, I might as well say it. I think I might like you, Ellie. I'm sorry I have to do this, but there's no other way. No one can know who, or what, I am." Without delay, he Obliviated her memory with a quick spell and watched as her eyes closed and she slumped over on the couch. He ran a hand through silvery-blond hair and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Apparating back to McGonagall's house, he sullenly stomped to the door, beat on it until she opened it, and thrust the wand into her hand. He Disapparated immediately, and proceeded to place a memory charm on Ellie. She would wake up thinking that she had come inside for a drink, but had passed out on the couch. It wasn't the brightest story Draco had ever come up with, but it was all the thought he wanted to put into it. He left the house, an unfamiliar feeling settling in his stomach.

_So this is what it feels like to want to be with someone, yet know it will never happen. I hate it._

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A/N Yes, this was a short chapter... but the next chapter is going to be massive. So I needed to stop here. How did my first "mushy" scene go? Review please! (also, forgive any mistakes I made with the magic stuff... I'm not very well-versed with magic rules and stuff... maybe you *do* need a wand to apparate... let me know if I was wrong anywhere!)_  
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	4. Chapter 4

Draco couldn't focus at dinner. His eyes kept wandering to long, brown hair and soft, chocolate eyes. His mind kept wandering to the events from that morning. Had he done the right thing? Should he have let Ellie talk to McGonagall? His logical mind said that it wouldn't have made any difference at all… but his irrational heart wished Ellie still had the memory of that morning.

He came back to the present when he realized the chocolate eyes were staring back at him now. They were hostile, challenging. He realized he was frowning, and switched to his typical sneer. Ellie rolled her eyes and looked away. A heartstring snapped at this, and Draco had to remind himself that this is what he wanted. He wanted the girl to dislike him. He didn't want to have any kind of friendship with muggles. _Really, I don't._

As Draco brought his plate to the sink and began to leave the kitchen, Austin stopped him, smirking.

"It's your turn to do the dishes, Drake. Have fun." He grinned even wider and left Draco staring at a pile of dishes in the sink, plates of food on the counter, and a scrub brush thrust in his hand.

_Draco Malfoy, doing dishes. Potter and his band of merry misfits would simply _love _to see this. _Draco picked up a tall thin cup, and began to wash it meticulously. If he was going to do the dishes, he would do a better job than any of the muggles.

* * *

Ellie entered the kitchen two hours later to find Drake still scouring pots and pans. She felt a pang of guilt. She had intentionally used as many dishes as possible that night, knowing that it was Drake's turn to clean up. Sighing a bit, she grabbed the extra sponge and stood beside him at the sink. She silently picked up a plate and washed it off, ignoring the stunned look on the taller boy's face. After a moment's silence, Drake resumed washing his own dish.

Ten minutes passed, and the kitchen was completely cleaned. Ellie, now used to the fact that Drake was a stubborn chap and wouldn't ever thank her, turned to leave the room. A hand softly brushed her arm, making her face Drake once more.

"Why?" His face was puzzled, and slightly cynical.

"Why what?"

"Why did you help me?"

"That's what normal people do. They help each other." She raised an eyebrow and smiled. His mouth twitched, as though he wanted to smile too. Then he left the room without another word. She watched his retreating figure, and suddenly felt something nagging at the back of her mind. It was the same feeling she got when she woke up from a dream and couldn't remember exactly what the dream was, only what it felt like. This feeling sent shivers up and down her spine, and she desperately wanted to know why. She withdrew into her own little world, searching her memory to find the elusive feeling. She racked her brain, going over everything that had happened that day, but something wasn't right. She couldn't put her finger on it. She gave up and shook her head, walking slowly to her room. She tried to distract herself by thinking about her parents in North Carolina, her cousin's upcoming wedding, and anything other than the boy in the bedroom at the opposite end of the hall, but each time he entered her thoughts, the feeling came back. Sighing, she climbed into bed and hoped for a good night's sleep.

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"How do you manage to look so… awake? It's barely dawn!" Ellie yawned before returning to her cooking. Draco didn't bother answering her question. He knew it was more to be polite than any other reason.

He found himself almost unconsciously watching her, studying her. She had on her typical jeans, but this time they were hole-free and a very light wash rather than her usual dark. Her navy blue top was a deep v-neck, and she had a white tank-top on underneath. Her hair was messy, like she had barely brushed it that morning. Ellie must have felt him staring at her, because she turned around and glared at him with sleep-heavy eyes.

"What?"

Draco just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. His first impulse was to say something sarcastic and unpleasant, but he was enjoying the less-venomous Ellie this morning. Draco was always the first in the kitchen, except for Ellie herself, and on most occasions they both ignored each other. Today, she seemed to be making an effort to be polite. As much as he hated to admit it, he actually liked this side of her personality. He found her company very pleasing, and didn't feel like giving it up. So he remained silent.

After breakfast, Jon approached him with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Drake, have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"No, sir."

"Well then," the older man answered with a smile. "Today's your lucky day."

Five minutes later, Draco stood in the doorway of an old, red barn, surrounded by horses, hay, and an abundance of felines. His nose crinkled at the unpleasant odors, but he followed Jon to a stall at the far end anyway. In a large stall stood a plain, brown mare with large, dark eyes that stared at him calmly.

"This is Strawberry. She's steady, dependable, and wont pull any tricks on you while you learn to ride."

"Learn to ride?" Draco's eyes widened a bit at this. He wasn't too keen on giving the triplets more fuel for their verbal abuse.

"The tack room's over here. Come get a brush and start grooming her."

Grooming? _Honestly, this is absurdly stupid. I cant believe I'm actually doing this._

But he did it, and when Jon came back over from where he was grooming his own mount, he looked pleased. He went back to the tack room and brought out a large, black saddle. Handing it to Draco, Jon placed a large blanket on the animal's back first, before taking back the saddle and showing Draco how to put it on. Draco watched carefully as the man tightened the cinch, then put on the bridle. Handing the long reins to Draco, he told him to lead the horse out of the barn and wait for him there. The mare's shoulder was about as high as Draco's, which was saying something since Draco himself was over six feet tall. Draco stroked the horse's neck gently after making sure no one was around to witness his uncharacteristic kindness toward an animal. Jon came out a few minutes later, leading his own fully-tacked gelding. He carefully explained the basics of mounting and riding, before getting on his dapple-grey horse and telling Draco to mount his bay. Draco stuck one boot through the stirrup on his side, grabbed the saddle horn, and heaved himself up. Swinging his other leg over and sliding it into the empty stirrup, he grabbed the reins and was surprised when Jon told him to leave them more relaxed. Wondering whether this was just a trick to humiliate him, Draco hesitantly loosened the reins and sat up straighter. Jon looked him over approvingly, then urged his horse forward and told Draco to do the same. Draco lightly touched the animal's sides with his heels, but the mare didn't move. Draco kicked it with one leg, and it still didn't budge. Finally, he jammed both heels at the same time, and the stubborn thing began to walk after Jon. Draco heaved a sigh and muttered about stupid, worthless animals.

That night, Draco sat on the couch, head in his hands. Once more, every inch of his body was sore, this time from spending eleven hours straight in a saddle. By the end of the day, Jon had told him he did better than any other novice he'd ever seen. Draco had even tried to make the old mare canter, but it had refused and stuck to a jolting, fast trot. That had quickly become uncomfortable, so Draco was content with a walk. Now he was just waiting on a shower to be open, but the hallway floor was too hard to sit on. He was deep in thought once more about a certain brunette. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He wasn't sure why she was so fascinating to him. She wasn't extraordinarily beautiful. She wasn't a powerful witch. She wasn't ridiculously wealthy. But somehow, Ellie managed to capture Draco's thoughts and hold them tight.

"The shower's open on my end, if you need it." The soft voice flooded his head, and Draco looked up to find the brown-eyed girl staring down at him.

_How is it possible that two naïve, wide eyes can be paired with such an alluring mouth? _Draco wondered before he could stop himself. Mentally cursing his stupid train of thought, he nodded to the girl and stalked down the hall to the bathroom.

_Maybe an ice-cold shower will bring me back to reality. You know, that place where I'm a pureblood wizard and she's a muggle girl?_

Wednesday arrived and went very much like Tuesday, spent mostly in the saddle. An even sorer Draco lay on the couch, cushion held over his head to block out all light and noise possible until he could snag a shower and head to bed. Of course an annoying ringing sound had to filter through the thick pillow and interrupt his musings.

"Hello? Oh. Hi, Kyle. Um… how are you?" Ellie's voice came from the kitchen, where Draco knew the telephone resided, seldom used. Her tone was strained, and he removed the cushion to listen.

"Well, the last time we talked was when we broke up, remember? Oh… really? Yeah, you were… I don't know, Kyle… I've got a lot on my mind recently and… okay… Alright… Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Kyle." He heard her hang the phone up in its place on the wall and sigh. Then she came into the living room and gasped when she noticed him.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know… I thought you were already asleep. You looked pretty tired earlier."

"Yeah. I'm waiting on those cows you call cousins to stop hogging the shower and let me have a turn." To his surprise, she actually laughed at the insult to her family.

"You know, they only take that long because they know it bothers you. If you act like you don't care, they'll take their showers in less than ten minutes."

"Is that a fact? I'll have to work on my 'I don't give a rip' face, then." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Who was that on the phone?"

"You heard all that?" She looked slightly uncomfortable."Well, the kitchen is right across the hall, you know. You weren't exactly whispering."

"Oh… yeah. That was Kyle Standler, my ex-boyfriend… apparently he's reconsidering his dumping me. He wants to meet for lunch tomorrow."

"Someone is actually going spend time with you for seemingly no reason? What did the poor man do to deserve that?"

"I'm not a disagreeable, stubborn girl all the time… just when I'm around you." She was actually smiling as she said this. Draco sat up, folded his arms, and stared at her. He liked the way she was able to hold his gaze longer than anyone else he knew.

"Why is that, do you think?"

"Maybe because you're a stuck-up, self-centered idiot?"

"I take offense to that statement."

"But you don't deny it?"

Draco was surprised to realize that their conversation was sociable, almost friendly, despite their words.

"I deny the idiot part."

Ellie laughed and stood.

"As much as I'd love to debate that point with you, I have an early morning tomorrow, as do you. I'll go bang on one of the bathrooms until whoever's in there gets the hint. 'Night, Drake."

Draco didn't reply. He didn't want to get too friendly with her… but idle banter was fine.

The next evening, Draco once more sat in the living room chatting with Ellie. She was recapping her date with Kyle to him. Draco hadn't asked her to do so, she'd just starting talking and he'd been more than willing to listen.

"We broke up last time because he was being a total jerk to me about stupid things. My dad and mom both figured I was better off without him."

"When was this?"

"Almost a year ago."

Draco thought for a minute, then asked Ellie a question that had been bugging him since he arrived.

"How old are you?"

The muggle girl laughed. She was almost always laughing.

"I'm nineteen."

Draco sat up straighter and frowned.

"You're joking."

"It's true. I know I look a lot younger—"

"I thought you were sixteen!"

"Yeah… I get that a lot."

"Well then… that certainly changed my perspective a bit. Why are your parents still concerned with who you date?"

"Well," She looked down and studied her hands in her lap. "That's how it's always been. They've always been a huge part of my life. They respect my opinion, and I respect theirs. My dad has helped me get over old boyfriends in the past. My mom helps me with deciding whether to actually enter a relationship in the first place… now that they're not here, it's weird trying to make that decision by myself."

"Why aren't they here?"

"We actually live on the ranch next to this one. Uncle Jon is my dad's older brother. My aunt Rachel's mom lives in North Carolina. She had surgery a few months ago. Aunt Rachel's been living up there to help her recover, and when my dad needed to go there for business, my mom and him decided to make a vacation out of it. They lived three days before you got here, actually. They plan on coming back in a couple of weeks, about mid-September."

"I see… do you miss them?"

"Yeah. A lot more than most girls my age would miss their parents." Ellie's eyes flashed up to meet his and she quietly asked, "What about you?"

Draco was speechless for a minute. He was pretty sure the naïve muggle girl wouldn't understand his view of the situation._ Actually, I miss my mother, but I'm terribly happy to be rid of my father, and I dread the day that they escape from Azkaban. See, my father will very likely Crucio me before killing me after I went completely against his wishes by allowing Potter to rescue me, then leaving the battle. So…_

"No, not really."

Ellie didn't gasp, as Draco had assumed she would, merely studied his face for a moment. Her gaze was neither accusing, nor scandalized. It was just curious. He had a feeling she would have asked him why, had her cousin not entered the living room at that moment to let them know the shower was free. She glanced once more at Draco before silently leaving him to shower.

How had she managed to turn the conversation from talking about her past to talking about his? What scared Draco more than anything was that he actually wanted to talk about his past. He had never done so with anyone other than Blaise Zabini, his only true friend from Hogwarts. They had both been in similar positions, trapped in a life plotted out for them by Death Eater parents. While neither boy was jumping at the opportunity to become a Death Eater himself, Draco hadn't turned it down either. After all, it was a choice between following Voldemort and being eliminated by him.

But he hadn't been able to complete the one task he'd been entrusted with. He knew that everyone expected him to fail, but he had blown their expectations out the window by getting as close as he had. Still, he'd ultimately failed.

_I cant be a Death Eater, because I don't have the strength to take a life. I cant be one of the heroes either, because my entire life has been spent tormenting said heroes. Why cant I succeed at something— why am I even thinking about this? I came here to avoid all of this turmoil my world is in, and instead a muggle girl forces me to rethink my life? What is happening to me?_

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A/N I actually planned on this being a longer chapter, but I changed my mind… I'm going to be busy for the rest of the week, so I wont be able to write or upload anything for a while… so I'm uploading this chapter now, so my readers don't forget about me. : )

Speaking of which, thank you to everyone who read and favorited my story! You cant imagine how much that means to me. I also appreciate the review from nudgepleaseshutup. I'm so glad someone other than my best friend thinks my writing is worth reading : )

Okay, I'll stop gushing now : P


	5. Chapter 5

**Draco watched the white truck pull out of the driveway and breathed a sigh of relief. It was Saturday evening and the house was delightfully silent. The Greenes had all left for some social event in town. They'd tried to drag Draco along, but he'd firmly refused. Something about square dancing had been mentioned, and Draco never danced any style other than ballroom and waltzing. The sight of Ellie leaving the house in her pale lavender halter dress had almost changed his mind, but Draco knew she'd be dancing with her date, Kyle, the whole time. Instead, Draco decided to take the opportunity to run through the motions of every spell he could remember while the house was empty.**

**The sun had just set, and the September night was delightfully cool when Draco heard the crunch of gravel announce the arrival of a car. Knowing the family wasn't supposed to be back until nearly midnight, Draco instinctively grabbed a knife from the kitchen and found a place to see without being seen. After living his entire life making enemies, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared for an attack. Draco heard stomping feet cross the porch and tensed up in his hiding place in the corner by the hearth. The front door crashed open and Draco let out the breath he'd been holding. Ellie marched through the house down to her room in the back, and Draco nearly laughed at how nervous he'd been. He replaced the knife in the kitchen and followed banging noises back to Ellie's bedroom. Standing in the open doorway, he watched as Ellie seemed to be tearing her room apart, throwing random clothes and books at opposite walls. Draco noticed she'd changed from her purple dress into a pair of hot pink pajama pants and an oversized black hoodie. She had her hair pulled up into a messy ponytail on the top of her head. When she stopped stomping around her room to sit on the bed, she suddenly realized he was there.**

"**Oh… Hi Drake." Her voice was full of anger, but not at him. "You can come in if you want, but I'm warning you now… I might throw something at you."**

**Draco pulled the corner of his mouth into a slight smile, then sat on the chair by her small wooden desk. He leaned back, propping his legs on the desk itself, and crossed his arms. **

"**Why are you destroying your room?"**

"**Because that's what I do when I get mad."**

"**I thought this little outing was supposed to be pleasant."**

"**So did I… I should've known better though. People don't go from complete and utter jerks to perfect gentlemen in less than a year."**

**Draco raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't say anything."Remember how I said Kyle dumped me last time we were together? Well this time, I dumped him." Ellie sighed and looked out the window. "We only lasted five days this time. I should have known he hadn't changed though… Last time, we broke up because Kyle wanted me to move forward in our relationship, but I wasn't ready. It was stupid really, and he should have understood that I needed more commitment from him….But he didn't want to wait, so he dumped me. When he called me and said he wanted to get back together, I assumed he knew my views hadn't changed." She laughed mirthlessly. "I really ought to stop assuming things. Apparently he didn't. He's been bugging me for the past few days about… the same issues he used to. Then tonight…" Her face hardened into a look of pure revulsion. "Tonight Anna came and told me she saw him with another girl in a restaurant last night. Anna said he couldn't keep his hands off the other girl. I guess he didn't want to give up what little relationship we had, but he didn't want to wait for me either." Draco felt a sudden urge to Crucio Kyle for putting that wounded tone in Ellie's voice. **_**Great. Now I'm feeling protective over her. **_

"**I didn't want to believe her, so I went to Kyle to ask him about it. At first, he tried to say that Anna was lying and he'd been at home last night… but I trust Anna more than I trust Kyle. So when he wouldn't 'fess up to anything, I said we were done and left." Ellie's voice quavered a bit at the last few words. Draco desperately wanted to say something, to make her smile, laugh, forget about the fool who'd hurt her, but he didn't know how. Kindness wasn't his nature. Honesty wasn't either, but he decided to go with the blunt approach.**

"**He's an idiotic git." Draco steadily avoided Ellie's gaze by looking out the window with what he hoped was an indifferent attitude. He didn't want her to think he liked her or anything. "No one in their right mind cheats on his girlfriend. If you don't want her anymore, you break up with her the right way, let the bad feelings die down, then get the girl you want." Draco couldn't see Ellie's reaction to his words, but he refused to give in to the urge to glance at the girl. "Otherwise you end up with hatred from your ex and all her friends. It's much easier to just wait." Draco brought his legs off the desk and stood without looking at Ellie. He started to walk towards the door when a warm, short figure collided with his long, lanky one in a fierce hug. Before he had a chance to think about it, he'd wrapped his own arms around Ellie. A smothered voice whispered something Draco couldn't hear.**

"**Beg pardon?" He asked, pulling out of the hug. Ellie looked up at him, still standing close, and caught his grey eyes with her tear-filled ones.**

"**Thank you." Draco silently nodded and left the room. How else could he respond to this tiny young woman who looked up at him and melted his icy heart with her warm brown eyes? He'd never felt this way with anyone else. No one else could make him suddenly rethink every decision he'd ever made. No one else could make him feel things like compassion. He didn't understand what she did to him, and it scared him. He was starting to show more of himself to her every day. If he wasn't careful, she'd know more about him than anyone else.**

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**Ellie stared at the empty doorway and reviewed what had just happened. Drake Thomas, the moody new kid, had just talked with her about her breakup with Kyle. Not just talked about it, but comforted her, in his own strange way. He'd tried so hard to look apathetic, but she could tell he was actually being nice. That alone was enough to scare anyone out of their wits. But then, Ellie'd done the unbelievable: she'd hugged him. And he'd hugged her back! Again, that feeling that she was forgetting something washed over her, and she knew that whatever she was forgetting was incredibly important. She desperately wanted to remember, but she couldn't. **

**Banging on the front door brought her out of her reverie. She headed out of her room, but stopped halfway down the hall. Someone was talking at the door.**

"**Where's Ellie? I need to talk to her!"**

"**Oh really? Last I heard, she wasn't speaking to you anymore. I doubt she's changed her mind in less than an hour."**

"**Who do you think you are? Of course Ellie's talking to me! I'm her boyfriend!""**_**Ex**_**. Ex-boyfriend. Now get off the premises. You're not welcome."**

**Ellie peeked around the corner of the hall leading to the front door to find Drake blocking the entrance. A rather frantic-looking Kyle was trying to see past the taller blond, but his black hair barely reached Drake's shoulder. **

"**Let my **_**girlfriend **_**decided that! It isn't even your house, you British freak!" Ellie saw Drake's back tense beneath his black tee, but his voice still sounded calm. A warning laced through his next words.**

"**Your **_**ex**_**-**_**girlfriend **_**is busy, this **_**is **_**my home for the moment, and if you don't leave now, I might be tempted to show you how we settle disagreements where **_**I **_**come from." Knowing Kyle, Ellie was sure he wouldn't leave without speaking to her. She didn't want either of the boys to get hurt, so she decided to enter the discussion. **

"**Um, Drake? It's fine, I'll talk to him." At the sound of her voice, Drake slowly moved to one side of the doorway, but leaned against the frame, obviously not going anywhere. Ellie took a deep breath and walked forward to stand next to him. **

"**Ellie, please, we need to talk about this. You cant just-"**

"_**I**_** cant just? What about **_**you**_**? You cant just cheat on me and expect things to keep on going the way they were! Kyle, we're through talking this over. Just go away." Ellie saw Drake smirk slightly from the corner of her eye. **

"**Ellie… just come out here and talk to me. Privately." Kyle glared at the grinning Drake, before putting on a pleading face for Ellie. She just shook her head and backed away. Kyle leaned forward and tried to grab Ellie's arm, but Drake caught his hand before it reached her. **

**"When a lady tells you no, you listen, mate." Drake threw the arm he held backward and Kyle stumbled away. "Now leave before I get real nasty." At first, it looked like Kyle might argue, but then he turned tail and ran to his little blue pickup. Ellie watched him leave, then let Drake shut the door. The tall boy snickered a bit as he spoke. **

**"Like I said: he's a fool. You're better off without him." Ellie smiled and nodded before heading back to her room. Drake was turning out to be a better friend than she thought he would be.**

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**A/N ~ Once again, thanks for the reviews! I'm not gonna answer all the questions just yet, but trust me, they will be answered! :) One thing: Ellie is a christian. Hence the religious stuff. I'm not gonna have a lot of "religious jargon", but it will be in there sometimes. So if that offends anyone... sorry... but it will be there. I hope that doesnt prevent people from liking the story... :P**

**It might be a while before the next chapter update, just warning everyone... some of these characters have minds of their own and keep doing things I didnt plan on! :P  
**


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning passed like every other Sunday morning, with the Greenes leaving for church, and Draco staying home alone. This time, the Greenes were home by noon, having left church early to be home when Mrs. Greene and Ellie's parents got home. Ellie went straight to the kitchen to bake cookies, but the men folk went to sit on the porch and quietly read. Draco decided to go for a walk. He didn't want to witness the no-doubt sticky-sweet homecoming. Going all the way to the pond, he found a seat and did nothing but think.

When the sun had set and the breeze grown cool, Draco headed back to the house. He was surprised to find no new vehicles parked in the driveway; he knew the aunt and parents had been expected soon after lunch. He climbed the steps and slowly opened the front door.

The house was oddly quiet, and he looked in the kitchen to find Jon sitting at the smaller breakfast table, head in his hands. One of the triplets sat next to him, another stood with his arms wrapped around his father. Ellie stood, slim body shaking with sobs, while the last triplet held her close. She saw Draco standing in the doorway, and her tear-stained gaze met his for barely a moment before she covered it with her small hands. The cousin holding onto her gently led her to a seat before coming quietly to Draco.

"Drake… Our dad got a call from the local hospital a few minutes ago. Our mom was in a car accident just after picking up Ellie's parents. An eighteen-wheeler's brakes failed, and it rear-ended her car… Our mom's in the hospital with a severe concussion and multiple broken bones. Ellie's parents… didn't make it." The dark-eyed boy's voice failed him, despite his brave efforts. Draco glanced back at the small girl at the table. Her shoulders had stopped shaking, and she was now leaning her elbows on the tabletop, supporting her head with her hands. Draco simply nodded at the boy and left the room.

* * *

Ellie rolled out of bed when the alarm sounded. Her tears had ceased long before, her eyes seemingly dried up. The first rays of light were barely visible outside her window, and she hated them. She hated that the world could go on as it always did, while her own life fell to pieces before her eyes. She went through the motions of getting dressed and brushing her hair, putting on make-up without paying attention. The result was a pair of faded, baggy jeans, a plain black tee, a baseball cap over a slicked back ponytail, and too-heavy eyeliner. The face that stared back at her from the mirror was tired and blank. She left her room and tried to make breakfast for her cousins, knowing they had to feed the animals before going up to the hospital to visit Aunt Rachel. Uncle Jon had gone up and spent the night. The eggs she attempted to scramble burned, the bread for toast stayed cold in the oven she forgot to turn on, and the orange juice spilled all over the table when her hand shook. The deep slash she got when she failed at cutting the butter was the last straw. She threw the knife into the sink, sucking on her bleeding forefinger, and stalked into the living room, narrowly missing the tall form of Drake standing in the doorway.

"Could you be any louder at five bloody-thirty in the morning?" He drawled. Her grief-stricken mind didn't stop to wonder if the tone in his voice happened to be joking. All she could think to do was whirl around to face him and hoarsely whisper at him.

"What would you do if you suddenly lost almost everything you called important? Oh, let me guess. Your fine upbringing wouldn't let you show any kind of emotion, would it? You'd just sit there and sneer, like always!"

"You assume much for only knowing me a few weeks."

"I know you well enough! You're a pampered, spoiled little brat who's never faced disappointment in his entire life! You haven't had to work or do anything yourself! Everyone and everything has simply thrown itself at your feet!" She didn't see the glint of anger that was rising in his eyes. She just kept ranting, her voice getting gradually louder. "You're useless and pathetic! Until you came here, you hadn't lifted a finger for yourself! Oh no, Mummy and Daddy did that! Now look, with their worthless bums in jail, you don't -"

Ellie suddenly felt strong hands grasp her shoulders and pin her against the wall. She looked up with teary eyes to find stormy ones bearing down on her.

"Do not insult my parents, you filthy mug-" Drake's hiss suddenly cut itself off, and he blinked quickly before continuing. "You filthy peasant. You didn't know them, and you don't know me. Keep your insignificant opinions to yourself. You don't know what my life has been like. I've been through more than you could ever imagine." His hands fell off her shoulders and he stalked out of the room and out of the house. Ellie stood, leaning against the wall and holding her bleeding finger in her mouth. When Alex stumbled out of his room ten minutes later, he found her crying on the couch. He quickly led her back to her bedroom and told her to rest for the day. She sat on her bed , sobbing, before falling over and going to sleep.

* * *

Black velvet cushioned countless little diamonds above him as Draco lay in the grass outside the house. Crickets serenaded the stars, but all else was silent. The night was cool, but not cold. Thoughts whirled around inside his head; Draco let them. He didn't try to sort them out or really think them through. He just let them wash over him.

His father and mother were in Azkaban.

His friend Blaise was hidden somewhere, just like Draco, trying to be protected both from his Death Eater parents and the wizards and witches who believed they deserved prison time too.

Draco would probably never see Malfoy Manor again. Although it was haunted by memories of Voldemort and Death Eaters, it was also his home, and a few good memories remained from his young life.

No one would ever accept him in the wizarding world. Draco was an outsider. Hated by the evil and shunned by the good. Just getting a job would prove a challenge, since no one in the Ministry would trust a Malfoy.

Ellie was gone.

Draco's mind latched onto this thread of thought, and memories of the muggle girl flooded his mind. Standing in the kitchen, chopping one thing or another. Hanging laundry outside. Shouting at him. Stomping her foot. He remembered the feel of her tiny frame in his arms when he dumped her on her bed that first week. He remembered her hands shoving him in the living room when they fought just a few days ago. He remembered the sound of her voice, frantic with grief as she insulted him every way possible. But the most vivid memory that came to mind was of her arms wrapped around his waist in a brief embrace that night after Kyle. He had barely had time to react to the contact before it ended. It was incredible, the feeling of loss that followed. It was like letting a starving man see a huge feast, have a bite of food, then taking everything away. Draco didn't understand how a muggle girl could affect him this way. Somehow, she did.

Ellie was gone. She had shut herself in her room three days ago, and she hadn't come out since. Her uncle and cousins all tried to get her to come out, but she wouldn't. She wouldn't eat anything they brought either. Her uncle said to just give her time. Sighing, Draco sat up and ran his hands through his hair. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but he stood and went inside anyway. The rest of the house was asleep, but he saw Ellie's light was still on.

_If Blaise heard about this, he'd probably say I was certifiably insane._

Softly gliding to Ellie's door, Draco gently knocked. When there was no reply, he knocked a bit harder and whispered Ellie's name. After a few seconds, the door was opened by a red-faced, make-up-less, Ellie.

"Drake? What are you doing here?" Draco was stunned by the change in the girl. Her voice was dull and her eyes were lifeless. If he had had any doubts about his crazy idea, the sight of Ellie this way drove them off.

"Come with me." He took her by the wrist and began leading her outside. She barely protested, tugging at her arm weakly. When they were off the steps and standing in the middle of the front yard, Draco released her arm and faced her.

"Look up," he ordered her. When Ellie didn't respond, he took her chin in his hand and slowly raised it. Her eyes met his for a moment before passing upwards toward the sky. Finally, she caught sight of what he wanted her to see.

The stars.

She took a deep breath and stepped away from Draco, keeping her eyes on the sky. Afraid she would go back inside, Draco took a step towards her, but stopped himself. She wasn't going inside. She was lying down.

Ellie lay on her back, still staring at the sky. She was silent, but Draco saw a tiny hint of a smile in her face. He knelt down as well, resuming the position he'd had earlier in the evening. After a few minutes, Ellie sat up. She now looked down at Draco as though she wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words.

"Ellie, I'm sorry." He spoke first, without meeting her shadowed gaze. He chose to sit up and play with a piece of grass instead. "You're suffering, and I shouldn't have teased you like that. I think you overreacted a bit, but..." He glanced up to see whether she understood he was just joking. Instead, his eyes met watery brown orbs, startlingly close. _Oh, wonderful job, Draco. Now the silly girl is crying again!_

"You're right, Drake. I overreacted. I shouldn't have said those things about your parents. I don't know them. I don't know you either, and I shouldn't have said all that-"

"Ellie, really. I was joking." But instead of replying, Ellie just burst into tears, covering her face with her hands and leaning on her knees.

Draco remembered a time in his childhood when his first pet, a purebred Persian cat, had gone missing. He'd searched for days, but never found the animal. When he finally gave up and cried, his mother had held him and whispered little nothings in his ear, comforting him. Losing a cat and losing your parents were two very different things, but Draco decided to follow his mother's example. He wrapped one arm behind Ellie's shaking frame, and stroked her brown hair with his other hand. He whispered nonsense to her, trying his best to comfort her. Ellie seemed to melt beside him, and together they sat under the stars.

* * *

A sea of black slowly faded away as the mourners left the fresh gravesides, leaving seven lonely figures behind. The oldest among them, a brown-haired man, began the slow process of pushing a middle-aged woman in a wheelchair back towards the parking lot. Three young men followed them a few minutes later, and all that remained was a dark-haired girl and a white-blond boy. The boy had one arm loosely hanging around the girl's shoulders. He began to leave, but the girl called him back. They stayed by the graves a bit longer, in silence, until finally the young man led the girl away.

* * *

Monday came once more, calling Ellie out of bed. She had slept that night for the first time in a week, but she still felt exhausted.

The men were already out working, but Anna was scrubbing a pan in the kitchen. When Ellie entered, Anna pointed to a plate of bacon and eggs, still warm.

"There you go, hon. Alex asked if I would come over and help you out this week." Anna's cheerfulness was subdued, but still present. It comforted Ellie, knowing that her friend understood her aversion to laughter at the moment.

Anna proved invaluable that week. Ellie sometimes stayed in her room all day, looking over old photographs and letters. Anna, her uncle, and her cousins came in often, sometimes to talk with her, sometimes to cry. Ellie knew she was blessed to have this family who all understood her so well.

By Sunday, Ellie felt ready to burst. She needed to do something productive or she would go insane. Anna went home that day, but made Ellie promise to call her if she needed anything.

Monday morning, Ellie woke up and dressed quickly. She donned her black tee and baggy jeans, leaving her hair down in soft waves. Not even bothering with make-up, she went to the kitchen and began cooking. Having seen the boys fed and out the door, she set about scrubbing the entire house from top to bottom. Aunt Rachel was coming home in a few days, and Ellie wanted her homecoming to be a happy one.

* * *

Draco came in the house late Monday afternoon, smelly and sore from the days work. He was getting better at the whole horse-riding thing, but it still hurt at the days end. He noted with satisfaction that his skin was no longer pink from sunburns, but slowly tanning. It was still pale, and slightly red, but it was improving. As he washed his hands in the bathroom, getting ready for dinner, he examined his hands. They were now callused and scarred in a few places, barbed wire and nails having left their marks. He went to the kitchen and realized he was far too early. Jon and the triplets had all gone to take naps or read, and dinner wouldn't be ready for at least another hour. Sighing, he turned back toward the back of the house. He almost collided with Ellie, who was just then entering the kitchen. She was red-faced, but not from crying. She carried a spray bottle in one hand, and a strange-looking mop in the other. Draco noticed the faint scent of vinegar that permeated the house grew stronger.

"Oh! Hi Drake... I figured you'd taken a nap too..." She trailed off a bit as she put the bottle on the counter and the mop in the sink. Draco looked over her shoulder out the window, and noticed it was raining.

_Here goes another insane idea..._

"Come on." He took Ellie by the hand and lead her outside once more. She resisted the rain, halting completely while she was still on the porch. Draco let go of her and marched straight out into what was quickly becoming a downpour. He spread his arms out wide, faced Ellie, and told her to come.

"Drake, it's raining!"

"I know. That's the fun of it."

"Drake... I'll get wet."

"That's usually what happens when one touches water."

She cracked a grin at that one, and timidly took a step out into the rain.

"Drake, it's cold!"

"You'll survive."

She slowly walked to him, cringing at the cold. When she reached him, she was now dripping water and shivering. Draco took her left hand and placed it on his shoulder, taking her right hand in his left.

"What are you doing?"

"Dancing in the rain, of course." With that, he began waltzing around the field at a pace he knew was far too fast. But Ellie was laughing now, trying to keep up with him. The Draco switched to a polka, going as fast as he could, sometimes half-carrying Ellie along. When he finally halted in the middle of the field, he tilted his head back and let the rain wash over his face. When he glanced back down at Ellie, she was doing the same, her eyes closed. A smile danced on the corners of her lips, and a thought grew unbidden in his mind.

What would it be like to wake up to that face every morning?

* * *

A/N Hey all! So, so sorry for the LONG delay! Life is... well, life. It gets crazy. Plus, I couldn't get Draco to co-operate! He kept wanting to do things that weren't in my plan... like dance in the rain. So, I had to keep re-writing this chapter until we were *both* happy... It's still not my favorite, but it'll do... I hope. Any and all reviews and comments are welcome! Lots of love to my readers, and I hope they can forgive me for taking so long!


	7. Chapter 7

"Draco." Someone's soft, melodic voice called his name, but it seemed distant. Draco looked left and right, but saw nothing. It was the blackest night he'd ever seen, and the stars and moon were gone. Then, from his right, a small light began burning like a candle. It slowly grew, but stopped when it was about the size of his thumbnail. As his surroundings were gently lit by the yellowish flame, he saw he was in his old room in Malfoy Manor. There was a black-clad woman standing next to his bed, holding the candle. He couldn't make out her features, but noticed she had dark, wavy hair. She placed the candle on the bedside table, then climbed into bed next to him. Draco's limbs were frozen, and he did nothing but watch the woman. Placing her head next to his, she whispered in his ear,

"You went to sleep without me? Shame on you." Draco's mind was befuddled, he had no idea who the woman was. Then she sat up and spoke again, looking down on him. He still couldn't see her face.

"What's wrong, Draco? I told you I'd be home late… you're not mad, are you?" The woman stroked his cheek with silky, smooth fingers, and still Draco did nothing. Then something cold and metallic brushed his cheek. There, glinting in the candlelight as the woman took back her hand, was a diamond ring. Draco suddenly recovered the use of his limbs, and sat straight up, staring at his own left hand. A plain, white-gold band adorned his ring finger. He climbed out of his bed with frantic speed, surprised to find himself clothed in his old wizarding robes.

"Who are you?" He found his voice.

"Why, Draco darling, it's me, Astoria! Your wife…" Draco shook his head, knowing that couldn't be true. He wasn't married, he couldn't possibly be married…

Then suddenly, the scene around him faded and transformed into his father's study in the Manor. His father sat, facing him, in the large chair behind the black desk. To his left stood his aunt, Bellatrix, and on his right stood his mother. But Aunt Bella was dead…

"I am disappointed, Draco. You failed me." His father's deep, smooth voice penetrated his thoughts. Draco's head bent of it's own will. Draco wanted to ask how he had failed, but his father continued speaking.

"All you were asked to do was kill one old man. That's all. It should have been easy, Draco. But you hesitated. You couldn't do it. You needed Snape's help after all, didn't you? Why? Why couldn't you please me? Why did you fail?"

"I…I…"

"He's not worthy of the Mark, just as I told my Lord!" Aunt Bella's high-pitched voice piped in. She began walking towards him, and Draco's heart beat wildly with fear. He suddenly recognized this scene. This was the day after his failure to kill Dumbledore. Any minute now-

CRACK!

A black-robed wizard joined the small party in the study. Draco's knees nearly failed him when he recognized the form of Lord Voldemort. The Drak Lord stalked toward Draco, wand extended threateningly.

"You have failed, Draco. You must be taught a lesson on failure." Draco wanted to shut his eyes, walk out of the study, shout horrid things at the people surrounding him, but he could do nothing other than stare at his shoes and quake in fear. He knew what was coming. When Voldemort spoke, Draco already knew what he would say.

"Teach him, Bella. But not in here. I don't want to listen to him." A strong yet thin hand grasped his sleeve and dragged him from the room, down long hallways and stairs, into a basement of sorts, speaking vile things the whole way. Draco was sweating, but remained silent. He was prepared for what would come. His aunt brandished her wand and practically screamed out the Unforgivable with relish.

Crumbling to the floor, Draco writhed as pain wracked his entire being. His groans turned to screams as he thrashed about, and in between the Crucios, his aunt kept up a steady stream of lecturing.

"You must not fail the Dark Lord. No one can ever fail the Dark Lord. You have no choice but to obey and to succeed. He owns you. You cannot fail him. You must not fail him. There are no excuses for your failure. Failure will not be tolerated."

When the inevitable happened and Draco passed out, he woke to a completely different scene. He was back in his father's study, but his aunt and mother were no longer there. It was only his father, and his father was now smiling.

"Well done, Draco. Very well done. You may have failed in your past, but you have grown into a fine young man, capable of nearly anything. Your work this past year will be rewarded. You have chosen a respectable, pureblood wife, and you have nearly eradicated an entire muggle town. Only one remains." Draco turned as the door opened, and in walked the last person he expected to see: Ellie.

The muggle girl was dressed in ragged, ripped jeans and a baggy, wrinkled t-shirt. Her hair was unbrushed, and her face was red, like she had been crying. Her eyes met his, and the pain and hatred in her eyes stabbed Draco to the core. How did this happen?

"What are you waiting for?" Draco met his father's cold gaze, and realized with horror that he was supposed to kill her. He had no control over his limbs; his wand arm rose, pointing at the muggle girl. She caught Draco's gaze and refused to let go of it. The intensity of the stare froze him. The spell was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't want to say it. His father's voice was commanding him to complete the task. Draco's mouth opened of its own accord, and Draco tasted the revolting flavor of the Killing Curse tainting his tongue. He watched, terrified, as Ellie's face transformed from hatred to acceptance, and she dropped her gaze. A flash of green filled Draco's vision. He began to scream, and sat up with a start.

Never before had the tiny, extremely muggle bedroom looked so wonderful. Draco's breath came in quick gasps, his mind racing to grasp reality once more.

"Drake? Are you alright?" Ellie softly called through the closed door. Draco jumped out of his bed, trying to bring his breathing back to normal. He opened the door to find a messy-haired Ellie standing in the hallway. He raised an eyebrow at her rather odd sleeping garments. Blue house shoes peeked out from underneath grey, plaid trousers that looked like they were made for a much taller person, probably male. A baggy green t-shirt hid underneath a white zip-up hoodie with a musician's name emblazoned in neon lettering across the front.

"I… I was getting a drink and I heard… well, I thought I heard someone…crying…" Ellie cringed as she spoke, seemingly afraid to be talking to Draco about this. His eyebrow went up even more at the mix of concern and fear written on her face.

"I'm fine," Draco lied. Inside, he was anything but fine. In fact, he was falling apart. But Ellie didn't need to know that.

"Oh. Okay. Sorry to bother you." She suddenly sounded…angry. She spun around and started walking down the hall. For a moment, Draco considered just how stupid he really was.

* * *

"Ellie," Drake whispered behind her. She faced him again, brain whirling. She'd tried to be nice, but he'd pretty much slammed the door in her face.

"Yes, Drake?"

"Um… do you mind talking for a moment?" Ellie searched for pale grey eyes in the soft light of the hallway, and found them steadily looking everywhere but at her. What could he possibly be up to?

* * *

A/N ~ Hi again everyone! How were your holidays? Mine were absolutely fabulous :) But, I didnt get much writing done... so this chapter is pretty short. And once again, it pretty much wrote itself... I'm not sure where the whole dream sequence came from... Anyways, I noticed I messed up in the previous chapter: I said Aunt Rachel wasn't home yet... but actually, she was the lady in the wheelchair at the funeral... so I gotta fix that little bit. So for now, just ignore that little detail. It doesnt affect this chapter.

No promises, but I think y'all will like the upcoming three-or-so chapters. They were my favorite planning out :)

Once again, all reviews are welcome! I'm not gonna answer any questions at the moment... because honestly, this is *really* early for me, and I'm not really in a thinking mood. :P So, hope you all liked this, please review, and have a nice day! :)

"Okay, sure. Let's go to the living room."


	8. Chapter 8

Running a hand through pale hair, Drake seemed to look at everything except Ellie. She didn't try to push him for answers, she just sat on the couch across from him and waiting. She searched his face for any clue to his strange behavior, but met only lines of chaos written across his chiseled features. Once again struck by his darkened skin and work-hardened hands, Ellie let her thoughts wander as she waited for Drake to speak. Finally, he took a deep breath.

"What would you do if you knew everyone around you expected something from you that you couldn't do?"

Ellie raised an eyebrow.

"Well… I guess I'd try to explain to them that they were wrong and I couldn't do whatever they wanted."

"But it's not that easy. People don't understand… they don't understand that sometimes, a person changes his mind about… everything."

"What do you mean?" Genuinely curious, Ellie leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. Drake sighed again.

"I was brought up in a world where there were specific social classes, and the class I was born to was expected to act a certain way, do certain things. As I grew up, I followed those social rules. I did what I was told, and I thought it was all right… but now, I'm not so sure. Everything I was told seems warped and distorted and… I don't understand why my opinions have changed, but they have. But no matter what I do, people wouldn't believe that I have changed. They'll all expect the old me, the one they all knew. What am I supposed to do?" Drake's hands covered his face now, muffling his voice. Ellie impulsively reached out and took each of his hands in one of her own. Slightly embarrassed at her stubby fingers and chipped nail polish, she traced a pale scar across the back of Drake's right hand. Without looking at him, she spoke.

"I'm no expert at giving advice, but your hands alone are evidence of your change. When you came here, you were practically useless. And now you know how to build a fence, ride a horse, and manage a ranch. Not very well, but you can." She glanced up with a smirk to find piercing grey eyes less than six inches from her own. She went back to staring at their hands.

"If youre worried about all this stuff because youre worried about having to go back home… well… have you ever considered maybe… not going back? What if you made a new life for yourself here? I mean, not _here _here-" She quickly met Drake's eyes again, realizing how awkwardly that had come out. She felt the blood rushing to her face, and dropped Drake's hands. She fumbled about with words, trying to think of what to say as she played with a small piece of hair.

"I couldn't possibly stay." Ellie's eyes snapped back to catch Drake's, but found them looking straight down at his hands, which laid on his lap right where Ellie dropped them.

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand…In my world, you are never forgotten. Someone always remembers you, and what you used to be. They never let you rebuild your life. Someone will come for me someday, bringing with them my past and all its mistakes. I suppose I could wander about, but I could never stay." There was an immeasurable amount of regret in Drake's voice that nearly brought tears to Ellie's face. Longing mixed with fear fortified his words. Ellie wasn't sure how to respond, other than by repeating her earlier question.

"Why?"

"Because the mistakes I've made were sometimes rather… permanent. And there are people who would do anything to make sure I pay for them."

"But if you said you were sorry-"

"It doesn't work that way." Drake caught Ellie's eyes and held them, anger and frustration shadowing his face. "When you make the kind of choices I did, you can never pay for them enough. I hurt people, Ellie. Those people want revenge. And I can't blame them."

_What could he have possibly done? Ellie wondered. _

"_Then maybe you should just forget them."_

_The tension between the two young people was electric. They stared each other down, Ellie's curiosity battering at the walls Draco had always held up against others. Forget his past? Forget the people he knew? Forget about magic and wizarding and his old life? Could he do that? Could he leave everything behind? He was surprised at the feeling of hope that tugged at his heart. He actually wanted to forget. He wanted to start fresh, to forget all his old errors and erase the past. _

_Draco suddenly had a strong urge to tell Ellie everything. He wanted to tell her his hopes and dreams. He wanted to bare his soul to this small muggle girl who had captured his heart-_

_But wait. This could never happen. If he told Ellie everything, he'd have to tell her his past._

_He'd have to reveal the monster that lay beneath his skin, always threatening to break loose. _

_He knew what Ellie would do. _

_Draco clenched his jaw._

_He stood, knocking knees with the girl. _

"_I should have known you wouldn't understand. I should have known that you could never understand. People don't just leave their past behind them. My past is my present… and my future. There is nothing else for me. When this summer is over, I'll go back to my life in Mal- Gorgantia. I'll go back to the routines and the politics and everything I used to be. There is nothing else I could possibly do. I don't have freedom like you Americans. My world is a world of walls and secrets." He stormed out of the room without another sound, going back to his dark prison of his haunted past._


	9. Chapter 9

There it was again! That awful, irritating feeling that she was forgetting something incredibly important pulled at the back of her mind. Ellie sat on the couch, pressing her palms against her temples. What was it? What was she forgetting? She sifted through her memories, searching for the missing piece. Finally, she realized what was wrong: she wasn't forgetting anything. She was misremembering! That day with the clothes and the snake… wait. What snake? There wasn't a snake… or was there?

Then it hit her. Her brain tried to filter the new information that replaced the shallow "memory". When she finally put everything together, all the way up to the last sentence Drake (Draco) spoke before Obliviating her memory, she stood up. Slightly dizzy, Ellie stumbled down the hall to Draco's room. She knocked on the closed door, softly at first, then more firmly when he didn't answer.

"What?" Draco's eyes were misty, and at the sight of his reddened face, Ellie through her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He was so shocked, he didn't respond at all. Finally Ellie whispered into his chest,

"I know who you are." Draco flinched and drew away.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know who you are… Draco Malfoy." Ellie grabbed his arm before he could aparate. "I remember everything. I remember everything that happened before you Oliviated my memories. Please, don't leave for your wand. I want to help you through this Draco. You can stay here longer. You don't have to go back to your old life. You have a family here."

Draco's eyes caught Ellie's, searching her. She held his gaze, still holding his arm. Finally, he broke down and looked away. He didn't try to take his arm away. He just looked down and let his shoulders droop.

"No Ellie, I cant. If I stay, I could put your family in danger. And your family isn't my family."

Ellie took a step closer to Draco, now, more than ever, fully aware of just how tall the young man was.

"Yes, they are Draco. They care for you…" She took one more step, trying to see his eyes through the curtain of blonde hair. Her hand found its way to his cheek, gently guiding his eyes to her own.

"…I care for you."

At this, Draco lost all control. All his fortitude, his silent strength, came crashing down on his head in an avalanche of emotions. How could he possibly react to this girl, who so trusted him and believed in him enough to confess her feelings for him? He closed his eyes firmly, trying vainly to hold back the salty tears. He gave in and wrapped his arms around the small girl, whose tears soon moistened the front of his shirt. Standing there, Draco Malfoy felt for the first time the comfort of someone else's compassion. He had been pitied. He had been hated. He had been tortured and scarred and feared, but never had he been cared for. Draco pulled away and grabbed Ellie's hand, leading her inside the room and shutting the door. He turned on the light and sat on his bed, tugging Ellie down with him. Her thumb flicked away the tear on his cheek and he colored up, ashamed suddenly at her witnessing of his weakness.

"Ellie, you wanted the truth from me. Honestly, I'm terrified of the day when I have to go back to Malfoy Manor. I don't want to go back to the world I grew up in, where everyone hates me for who I've been. Here, I've been able to start anew, to create a new self… I don't want to give that up. I've felt at home with you and your family, and I am petrified at the thought of leaving you."

"You can stay with us forever, if you want to. I know Uncle wont mind, especially since you've been helping out on the ranch.." Her eyes held his gaze. Such eyes, such intensity, such purpose! "Draco, you don't deserve hate for the mistakes you've made in the past."

"but how can I possibly convince an entire world that sees me as a Death Eater responsible for the death of Dumbledore to see me otherwise?"

"One step at a time." Ellie took one of Draco's hands in both of hers and held it tight. "It wouldn't be easy, but it isn't necessary. Forget that world. They can learn to forget you as well. Make this place your home."

Could he do it? Could he give up magic forever, give up his rights to a life of wealth to live in a small town with a family who he had only know for a couple of months?

Looking at Ellie, Draco knew the answer.


End file.
